The Bottom Line

You've had a brilliant business idea. At least, you think you have. What do you do next? Evan Davis speaks to three successful entrepreneurs- including former contestants on The Apprentice and Dragons' Den. Where do the best ideas come from and how do you know when they are worth pursuing? What are the top tips for pitching and when is it time to let an idea go?

Evan is joined by Rob Law, the inventor of the Trunki ride-on suitcase for kids, Pippa Murray, founder of the nut butter brand Pip & Nut and Tom Pellereau, who invented the curved nail file for his company Stylideas.

Production team: Producers: Simon Tulett and Michaela Graichen Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Picture: Getty Images, Credit: Teerachai Jampanak)

Why do advertising agencies use fear to get us to part with our money?

Advertising agencies and marketing people use different techniques to push our buttons. Humour is one. But what about fear? Do they sometimes try to scare us into buying? Or is it a gentler art- playing on our insecurities about things like old age, poor health or thinning hair?

Evan Davis speaks to Sir John Hegarty and Ian Gathard from the advertising industry and psychologist Juliane Beard, who studies how the brains of consumers work.

Credits: Volkswagen "Eyes on the Road" advertising stunt Reebok trainers advertisement: "Lose the Beer Belly" Aviva home insurance advertisement

Production team: Producers: Simon Tulett and Michaela Graichen Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Picture: Piccadilly Circus in London, Light Trails at night. Credit: Jonathan Herbert, JH Images via Getty Images)

When Shivaun and Adam Raff's shopping and price comparison website all but vanished from Google's search results just days after launching, the pair began a gruelling legal battle that would end with a landmark judgement and the tech giant receiving a then record fine.

European regulators found the search engine guilty of abusing its market dominance by making its own shopping recommendations appear more prominently than rivals' in its search results. Google spent seven years appealing its €2.4bn fine, but eventually lost in September this year.

In their first interview since that verdict the Raffs tell Evan Davis the story behind their website - Foundem - and what they learned about big tech, regulation, and themselves during their almost 20-year fight.

Evan is joined by:

Shivaun and Adam Raff, co-founders, Foundem; Anne Witt, professor of law, EDHEC business school.

Credits:

President Barack speaking to Kara Swisher, from the technology news website Recode, in February 2015; Joaquín Almunia speaking at a European Commission press conference in February 2014; Margarethe Vestager speaking at a European Commission press conference in June 2017.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Jonny Baker and Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Picture: The Google logo displayed on a mobile phone and computer monitor. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images/BBC)

When a company finds itself facing war or natural disaster how can it get staff out of harm's way, and is there any chance of ensuring business as usual?

Evan Davis speaks to one business leader who helped move hundreds of staff out of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia when war broke out in 2022. Two crisis response companies explain how they have been helping clients with people and operations in Lebanon, Israel and parts of the USA recently hit by hurricanes.

Plus, what is an employer's obligation in these situations, and do the same rules apply to international as well as local hires?

Evan is joined by:

Ann Roberts, chief people officer, Flo; James Waddington, global director of security assistance, International SOS; Elmarie Marais, founder and CEO, GoCrisis; and Anna, an employee at Wildix.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researchers: Drew Hyndman and Michaela Graichen Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Pete Wise and Tim Heffer Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Picture: A Ukrainian flag flies from a destroyed building in Mariupol, April 2022. Credit: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko/BBC)

It must be one of the most-maligned professions out there - on a par, perhaps, with traffic wardens - but debt collectors perform a vital service to businesses and the wider economy. So why do we love to despise them?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the industry's inner workings, from the public image of aggressive, burly bailiffs, to the reality of repayment plans prompted by artificial intelligence. We ask how most try to ensure they collect debts fairly, and also hear the other side of the debt story - how damaging and stressful it can be for businesses who desperately need the money.

Plus, why do we find it so hard to talk about debt in the UK? We hear about the industry's efforts to tackle the stigma.

Evan is joined by:

John Pears, UK CEO, Lowell; Amon Ghaiumy, co-founder and CEO, Ophelos; Dana Denis-Smith, CEO and founder, Obelisk Support.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Farhana Haider Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Dafydd Evans and Sarah Hockley Production co-ordinators: Rosie Strawbridge and Katie Morrison

Side hustlers are seemingly everywhere - some surveys suggest they account for around half of UK workers - and stories of getting rich quick and abandoning the 9-5 are plenty. But the reality for many is much less glamorous: long hours; a precarious balancing act with the day job; and a good chance of failure.

Evan Davis speaks to side hustlers, and their employers, to find out what it’s really like balancing two jobs at once. Plus, why is side hustling so popular anyway? Does it reveal a flourishing entrepreneurial spirit in the UK, particularly among young workers, or is it a symptom of a changing relationship between employer and employee?

Evan is joined by:

Julian Douglas, global CEO, VCCP; Ewen MacPherson, chief people officer, Havas UK; Karen Burke, founder, Go Goosey.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Nicola Brough and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

The UK's power grid is undergoing a huge shift towards renewable energy, but running homes and businesses solely on this new form of electricity will be a delicate balancing act and will pose new choices for consumers.

Evan Davis and guests discuss the challenge of matching supply - from wind and solar - with an increased demand from electric vehicles and homes using heat pumps rather than gas boilers.

Part of the solution could be consumers themselves - homes with EVs, solar panels or battery storage could act like mini power plants, sending energy back to the grid, as well as taking from it, and getting paid in the process. But that two-way exchange could bring harder decisions - would you let your energy company switch off your fridge for an hour to ease pressure on the grid?

Evan is joined by: Cordi O’Hara, president of UK electricity distribution, National Grid; Hamish Phillips, net zero business development director, Centrica; Jordan Brompton, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Myenergi.

Production team: Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Jonny Baker and Tim Heffer Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

Krisi Smith started Bird and Blend Tea company with business partner Mike knowing very little about tea or running a business. She drew up their mission statement in the pub whilst working as a ski instructor in Canada.

They started up working in her mums back bedroom to now running 20 retail stores across the UK.

Before starting the company she had more than 30 jobs and that’s just by the age of 24. For her, putting people are the forefront is what business is about.

Krisi talks about the challenges of opening a business with your partner in life as well as business. ‘Got married, got divorced, and we're now just business partners.’

Evan asks about the key personal and business-related decisions that got her to where she is today.

The Decisions That Made Me A Leader is a mini-series from The Bottom Line. It features one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Duncan Bannatyne, Martha Lane Fox, and the boss of Depop, Simon Beckerman. All of these episodes are available on BBC Sounds and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader. You can also watch the series on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader.

Host: Evan Davis Producers: Paige Neal-Holder and Farhana Haider Assistant Editor: Matt Willis Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson

A BBC News Long Form Audio production.

Simon Beckerman is the founder of Depop, a platform where people can buy and sell pre-loved fashion, it currently has around 35 million registered users. He sold the company to Etsy for £1.25 billion in 2021.

Simon grew up in Italy to British and Italian parents who he describes as rebels in their own way and even as a teenager he knew he had to build his own business because ‘I was unemployable’

His latest business, is DELLI a food app connecting independent retailers with consumers. Evan asks about the key personal and business-related decisions that got him to where he is today.

The Decisions That Made Me A Leader is a mini-series from The Bottom Line. It features one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Duncan Bannatyne, Martha Lane Fox, and the boss of Depop, Simon Beckerman. All of these episodes are available on BBC Sounds and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader. You can also watch the series on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader.

Host: Evan Davis Producers: Paige Neal-Holder and Farhana Haider Assistant Editor: Matt Willis Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson

A BBC News Long Form Audio production.

Martha Lane Fox was first catapulted into the public eye during the dot.com boom as co-founder of lastminute.com the online agency she set up with Brent Hoberman in the late 1990s.

It was valued at three quarters of a billion pounds when it floated on the London stock exchange in 2000.

She then experienced a life change road accident while on holiday in Morocco when she was thrown from the passenger seat of an open-top car. She says she very nearly died. ‘They rank you in trauma I was a 37, 39 is dead’

Her career has ranged from launching karaoke chain Lucky Voice to serving as the government’s digital champion and being on the board of twitter, during one its most complex times. She is currently the President of the British Chamber of Commerce

Evan asks about the key personal and business-related decisions that got her to where she is today.

The Decisions That Made Me A Leader is a mini-series from The Bottom Line. It features one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Duncan Bannatyne, Martha Lane Fox, and the boss of Depop, Simon Beckerman. All of these episodes are available on BBC Sounds and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader. You can also watch the series on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader.

Host: Evan Davis Producers: Paige Neal-Holder and Farhana Haider Assistant Editor: Matt Willis Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson

A BBC News Long Form Audio production.

Evan Davis sits down with Richard Walker the Executive Chairman of Iceland foods a company founded by his father. Richard started at Iceland Foods in 2012 from the bottom up working as a shelf stacker at the start.

A qualified chartered surveyor he is an entrepreneur in his own right having set-up a property business, Bywater Properties, of which he is still chairman.

A fan of physical challenges he’s climbed Everest and was running his first London Marathon this year when he collapsed less than two miles from the finish line and says ice saved his life.

Evan asks about the key personal and business-related decisions that got him to where he is today.

A Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4.

Evan Davis sits down with Timo Armoo, the founder of social media advertising business Fanbytes, which he set up when he was 21 with two friends.

Aged 27 he sold the company, which connects social media influencers with brands, for an eight-figure sum, saying he can now retire a multi-millionaire.

Timo was born in Hackney in London but moved to Ghana to live with his grandmother when he was 3 months old. He returned to the UK and grew up on a council estate in south London and says he always had this burning feeling that he was destined for more.

Evan asks about the key personal and business-related decisions that got him to where he is today.

The Decisions That Made Me A Leader is a mini-series from The Bottom Line. It features one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Duncan Bannatyne, Martha Lane Fox, and the boss of Depop, Simon Beckerman. All of these episodes are available on BBC Sounds and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader. You can also watch the series on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader.

Host: Evan Davis Producers: Paige Neal-Holder and Farhana Haider Assistant Editor: Matt Willis Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson

A BBC News Long Form Audio production.

Every year has its business highs and lows which we don't often get an opportunity to chew over on The Bottom Line.

This year is different.

To mark our end of term, we thought we’d reflect on the business year and look at some of the highs and lows across the business landscape, creating our very own (and very unofficial) Bottom Line Business Awards.

Three panellists, three categories, three nominations.

Joining Evan are: JESSICA SPUNGIN, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School SIR KEN OLISSA, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London and Chair and founder of Restoration Partners, a bank for entrepreneurs And NISHMA PATEL ROBB, current Executive Member of Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership, founder and CEO of The Glittersphere and formerly Marketing Director at Google UK

PRODUCTION TEAM: Producers: Drew Hyndman and Alex Lewis Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

Private schools in the UK are mostly registered as charities – but they are also businesses – businesses in the sense that they sell a service to paying customers.

They’ve recently been in the news because the new government has said it will remove their exemption from VAT.

In this episode we take a look at the business of private education: how it works, how much money is made and what will happen when exemption from VAT is removed from school fees.

Evan Davis is joined by: Geoffrey Stanford, Head of Royal Grammar School Newcastle Jesse Elzinga Head of Sevenoaks School Cheryl Giovannoni, CEO, Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) Duncan Murphy, Director of Education, MTM Consulting

PRODUCTION TEAM: Producers: Drew Hyndman and Alex Lewis Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge and Janet Staples

All eyes have been on the new prime minister as he, and his team of ministers, settle into their jobs running the country.

In this episode we consider the management challenge of taking over and starting a new role, maybe changing the direction of an organisation.

Three leaders from the world of business and the charity sector share their experience of coming in as a new broom, reflecting on the mistakes they made and advice they'd offer to the new Prime Minister.

Evan Davis is joined by: Stuart Hill, UK CEO, DHL Rachel Roxburgh, former CEO, Dallaglio RugbyWorks Alan French, CEO, Thomas Cook

PRODUCTION TEAM: Producers: Alex Lewis, Drew Hyndman, Miriam Quayyum and Diane Richardson Editor: Matt Willis Sound: James Beard and Hal Haines Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Rosie Strawbridge

Managing the rituals of a loved one's death can be both bewildering and expensive.

And although no-one wants to think about it being like buying a holiday or car, it is a business with a supply chain involving funerals, burials and cremation.

A couple of years ago the Competition and Markets Authority - which protects people from unfair trading practices - carried out an in-depth investigation into the funeral market because of the “surprise” people experienced at the final cost of that farewell.

On average people spend about £4,000, so what do you get for that and how is the industry changing?

Evan Davis is joined by: Gill Stewart, Managing Director, Co-op Funeralcare Alison Crake, Senior Partner, Crake and Mallon Funeral Directors Kate Tym, independent celebrant And Greg Cranfield from JC Atkinson coffin makers.

PRODUCTION TEAM: Producers: Alex Lewis, Drew Hyndman and Miriam Quayyum Editor: Matt Willis Sound: James Beard and Hal Haines Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Rosie Strawbridge

Copyright law has been around since 1710. Back then it only applied to books. Now, it covers music, sport, film, television, video games, anything really.

It was also much easier to enforce in the days when people couldn't reproduce things all the time. That all started to change with the introduction of the humble music cassette tape. Now, we can all copy things and publish them to social media whenever we like.

Devices which can circumvent geographical barriers have meant that streaming services have had to rethink their business models. And no-one knows quite yet the potential AI has to change things.

So is it time that copyright law had a reboot?

Evan Davis is joined by: Lisa Ormrod, copyright lawyer and Associate Director at Springbird Law Nathalie Curtis Lethbridge, Founder of Atonik Digital which advises on streamed content and monetisation strategy John McVay, Chief Executive of PACT, the trade body for independents working in the UK screen industry

PRODUCTION TEAM: Producers: Alex Lewis, Drew Hyndman and Miriam Quayyum Editor: Matt Willis Sound: James Beard and Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

Millions of employees in the UK are now able to work flexibly – fitting their job around their home life. Many in office jobs, can finish early on a Friday, and are allowed, even encouraged, to routinely work from home.

But, at the same time, we’re told that the levels of overwork, stress, and burnout in this country are on the rise. More than 17 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression and anxiety in the last year for which we have data. So what’s going on?

Evan Davis and guests discuss whether work is really making employees feel burnt out and what's the best way to tackle it.

Evan is joined by:

Jane Gratton: Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce Riannon Palmer: Founder and CEO, Lem-uhn Catherine Allen: People Director at THIS!

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producers: Simon Tulett, Drew Hyndman and Miriam Quayyum Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Robin Warren and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

Every brand wants attention, to be seen as a must-have, but how do some manage stratospheric levels of popularity? It might happen organically, perhaps even by accident, but it’s also true that many brands engineer it.

Evan Davis and guest discuss the tricks of the trade, from social media influencers to artificial scarcity, and the potential pitfalls when a product is so popular that it's almost impossible to get hold of.

Plus, what is it that compels people to queue several hours for a sandwich, or pay ten times the usual price for a bottle of energy drink - we explore the consumer psychology behind the hype.

Evan is joined by:

Ellis Gilbert, founder of Soho Yacht Club and Talk Nice Studios; Rory Sutherland, vice chair of Ogilvy UK; Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, reader in psychology at Anglia Ruskin University; and Sian Evans, founder of Chatsworth Bakehouse.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Neil Churchill and Donald MacDonald Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

(Picture: A customer jumps in the air as he leaves an iPhone store in London, after being the first person to buy the brand's latest phone. Credit: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

China produces more than half the world's electric vehicles and is scaling up exports, but there are concerns its manufacturers would have an unfair advantage in the UK, which could spell disaster for domestic firms.

Evan Davis and guests discuss the UK's dilemma around Chinese EVs - do we open our doors to the competition, which might mean cheaper electric cars for consumers and a quicker transition to net zero, or should the government follow the USA and EU in considering import restrictions to protect domestic car-makers?

Plus, do buyers really care where their EV is made, and will 100% of new car sales be electric by 2035?

Evan is joined by:

Ginny Buckley, editor-in-chief and founder, electrifying.com; Victor Zhang, UK country director of Omoda and Jaecoo (made by Chery); James Taylor, UK managing director, Vauxhall; Fraser Brown, managing director, MotorVise

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

With the entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. The Decisions That Made Me A Leader is a mini-series from The Bottom Line. It features one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Duncan Bannatyne, Martha Lane Fox, and the boss of Depop, Simon Beckerman. All of these episodes are available on BBC Sounds and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer. To find the series, just search: The Decisions That Made Me A Leader. Host: Evan Davis Producers: Paige Neal-Holder and Farhana Haider Assistant Editor: Matthew Willis Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham Commissioning Editor: Hugh Levinson

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

Evan and three top executives discuss the curiosities of selling their expertise, knowledge the customer doesn't have. If consumers are in a state of relative ignorance, how can they shop around? What stops them getting ripped off? They also swap thoughts on religion in the workplace.

Joining Evan are Heather McGregor, managing director of headhunters Taylor Bennett; Rupert Soames, chief executive of mobile energy company Aggreko; Gavin Oldham, chief executive of retail stockbroker The Share Centre.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

Three young entrepreneurs, all in their early twenties, join Evan to discuss the headaches in getting their businesses up and running. They also discuss the next chapter - moving on and crucially letting go or getting out.

Joining Evan in the studio are Suleman Sacranie, founder of online wholesaler 99pwholesaler.com; Kelly Goss of independent fashion brand Rock 'n' Needle; Louis Barnett, founder of luxury chocolate maker Chokolit.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

Prompted by a comment from a guest in last week's programme that Facebook could never have been created in the UK, Evan and his panel swap thoughts on why the US does so well when it comes to startups compared to Europe. They also discuss whether a big ego helps you get on in business, or gets in the way.

Joining Evan in the studio are Anita Frew, chairman of plastics company Victrex; entrepreneur and investor Richard Farleigh; Michael Spencer, founder and chief executive of money broker ICAP.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

Evan and his panel talk cars. What road is the automotive industry on? Just where is it headed? They also consider whether it's best to be a wage slave, with a regular salary, or to take a share of the profits of a business.

Joining Evan in the studio are Ken Keir, Vice President of Honda Motors Europe; Nikki King, Managing Director of Isuzu Truck UK; Wol Kolade, Managing Partner of venture capital firm Isis Equity Partners.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

Evan and his panel debate the big issue of the moment: capitalism, its virtues and vices. Across the media it's associated with negative words like 'crisis' and 'crony'. So how would Evan's executive guests redesign and rebrand capitalism? They also discuss peaking - just when do you reach your prime in business?

Joining Evan in the studio are Keith Clarke, former Chief Executive and now Director of Sustainability at civil engineering and design consultancy Atkins; entrepreneur and investor Deborah Meaden; Heather Killen, co-founder of private equity and corporate finance advisory boutique Hemisphere Capital.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

Evan and his panel debate whether now's the time for companies to pursue big, ambitious ideas - or is it a time for more modest aspirations? They also discuss banking with the boss of retail banking at Royal Bank of Scotland, and take stock of the consumer sector in the run-up to Christmas.

Joining Evan in the studio are Brian Hartzer, chief executive of RBS UK Retail, Wealth and Ulster; David Martin, chief executive of transport company Arriva; Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, founder and managing director of WOW toys.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

After a week of turmoil in the bond markets, Evan and his panel discuss the importance of bonds in business. The boss of Heathrow talks about the trials and tribulations of running one of the world's busiest airports. And the panel swap thoughts on whether a good business manager can run any company of any type.

Joining Evan in the studio are Mark Elborne, president and chief executive of multinational conglomerate GE (UK and Ireland); Alison Carnwath, chairman of property company Land Securities; Colin Matthews, chief executive of airport owner and operator BAA.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

This week Evan and his panel consider the secrets of a happy business marriage - those key symbiotic partnerships companies have with each other. They also discuss whether flat organisations work best.

Joining Evan in the studio are Mike Roney, chief executive of business supplies distributor Bunzl; James Reed, chairman of recruitment specialist Reed; Nicola Shaw, chief executive of HS1, the fast rail link from London to the Channel Tunnel.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.

This week Evan and his guests serve up a smorgasbord of topics, from Swedish business and the IKEA model, to the crisis in the Eurozone crisis. They also discuss proliferation - how many different products should a company sell?

Joining Evan in the studio are John Vincent, co-founder of Leon Restaurants; Helena Morrissey, chief executive of global asset manager Newton Investment Management, part of BNY Mellon Asset Management; Peter Jelkeby, senior vice president of Swedish chain store Clas Ohlson.

Producer: Ben Crighton. Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

With protests continuing around the world against the financial sector, three guests from that industry swap candid thoughts about it. Evan puts to them a fundamental question: is their industry creating genuine wealth, or is it essentially parasitic, finding clever ways of distributing other people's wealth to its own workers?

Joining Evan in the studio are Ken Olisa, chairman of boutique technology merchant bank Restoration Partners; Ian Gorham, chief executive of financial advisory firm Hargreaves Lansdown; Julian Roberts, chief executive of savings and investment group Old Mutual.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Stephanie asks her panel about the dos and don'ts of marketing. They also talk about messiness in the workplace. Is there any truth to the claim that a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind?

Stephanie is joined in the studio by Richard Harpin, chief executive of emergency home repairs business Homeserve; Nick Wheeler, founder and chairman of shirt company Charles Tyrwhitt; Charles Cohen, chief executive of mobile gaming company Probability.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan asks his panel if it's getting easier to create a new business in the wired world, or does a lower barrier to entry mean it's more difficult to get noticed? They also consider how good businesses are built on the back of mistakes.

Evan is joined in the studio by Matt Brittin, managing director of Google, UK and Ireland; Lara Morgan, founder of Pacific Direct and Company Shortcuts; Luke Johnson, serial entrepreneur and chairman of Risk Capital Partners.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and his guests discuss McDonald's. After a rocky period in the middle of the last decade, how well has the global burger chain managed to revive its famous fast-food formula? They also debate whether the progress of radical new technology has slowed down.

Evan is joined in the studio by Greg Lucier, chief executive of US biotechnology company Life Technologies; Rita Clifton, chairman of branding consultancy Interbrand; Jill McDonald, chief executive of McDonald's UK.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan asks his guests whether it's time to declare a state of emergency in the world economy and to adopt extreme measures to sort out the Euro crisis and the lack of economic activity in the West. They also discuss rumours, hearsay and speculation, and the role they play in business.

Evan is joined in the studio by Guy Berruyer, chief executive of global business software supplier Sage Group; internet entrepreneur Brent Hoberman, founder of online interior decoration business mydeco.com; Hugh Hendry, co-founder of hedge fund Eclectica Asset Management.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week Evan asks his panel of top executives about the limits of automation. How far can they go in removing human beings from their business? Which processes are beyond automation? The panel also swap thoughts on the benefits of the corporate awayday.

Evan is joined in the studio by Mike Lynch, founder and chief executive of the software company Autonomy; Colin Drummond, chief executive of waste management firm Viridor; Douglas Anderson, president and chief executive of the global travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week Evan asks his panel of top executives about the perils and the possibilities of running a fast-growing business. Many a company has spiralled out of control because of a failure to manage rapid growth - but what are the speed limits? They also chew over the role of the business lunch.

Evan is joined in the studio by Clive Schlee, chief executive of sandwich retail chain Pret A Manger; Peter Bamford, chairman of SuperGroup, the fashion retailer behind the SuperDry brand; Giles Andrews, founder and chief executive of Zopa, an online lending service.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week Evan's panel of business leaders hail from the worlds of social networking and retail. He challenges them to cast their minds forward and imagine how the Web will look by the year 2020. What will have changed? Will bricks and mortar matter any more, or will everything be in the cloud? They also consider the value of storytelling in business. So many brands these days seem to have a story to tell - but what business benefit really is there in a good yarn?

Evan is joined in the studio by Michael Birch, internet entrepreneur and founder of social networking website Bebo; Laura Tenison, founder and managing director of maternity and babywear retailer Jo-Jo Maman Bébé; Justin King, chief executive of supermarket chain Sainsbury's.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week Evan's executive guests hail from the worlds of banking, headhunting and advertising. He asks them about loyalty - or rather the seeming lack of it in business. Are companies generally looking for short-term relationships of convenience, with loyalty gone and promiscuity the rule? Evan also asks them how they measure how well they're performing.

Evan is joined in the studio by Michael Morley, chief executive of private bank Coutts & Co; Robin Wight, president of communications agency Engine; Alistair Cox, chief executive of global recruitment firm Hays.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and his guests swap thoughts on contacts and contracts. Is it who you know that counts in business? Are informal networks the way business is allocated? Or do more formal arrangements now apply? Evan also asks his guests to reveal their greatest business regrets.

Evan is joined in the studio by Will Butler-Adams, managing director of folding bicycle manufacturer Brompton Bicycle; Charles Cohen, chief executive of mobile gambling company Probability plc; Ralph Oppenheimer, chairman of steel trading company Stemcor.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

With so many people now living in high-consuming industrial nations, and with many commodity prices increasing, Evan asks his business guests how they plan to economise in their use of raw materials. They also discuss building design and appraise the importance of form and function.

Evan is joined in the studio by Eugene Kohn, co-founder and chairman of architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Mark Price, managing director of supermarket chain Waitrose; Andy Bond, former chief executive and chairman of Asda.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

With plenty to worry about in the world economy, Evan asks his panel of influential business leaders whether now is a good time for companies to sit tight and play it safe, or to take a risk or two. They also discuss greed - is there anything wrong with a touch of it in business?

Evan is joined in the studio by Geoff Cooper, chief executive of builders merchant Travis Perkins; Harriet Green, chief executive of electronic components distributor Premier Farnell; serial technology entrepreneur Sir Terry Matthews.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business, presented by Evan Davis. The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Evan's guests are all top executives from the world of fashion and clothing. They discuss whether normal business rules apply in their world. They also get down to the nitty gritty of the business itself - who makes the money and how do they set the prices?

The panel also talks about marketing, and the role of PR in getting their products noticed.

Evan is joined in the studio by Jane Sheperdson, chief executive of Whistles; Simon Berwin, managing director of Berwin & Berwin; Kim Winser, fashion and retail expert with private equity group 3i.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business, presented by Evan Davis. The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Evan's top executive guests include two hoteliers and a soft drinks manufacturer. They discuss recent events in Japan, and explore to what extent companies can really prepare for major disasters.

They also reveal how much they know about life on the shop floor and where the problems lie.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Stephanie's top executive guests hail from the worlds of mobile energy, sanitary fittings and business services. They discuss how businesses cope in a "slow growth" environment. Could years of slow growth be more challenging than a short sharp shock?

And not so long ago, the slow coach economy in Europe was Germany - now it's steaming ahead of everyone. What's gone right for Germany - and what lessons could other countries learn?

Stephanie is joined in the studio by Rupert Soames, chief executive of mobile energy group, Aggreko; Neal Gandhi, chief executive of international business services company Quickstart Global; David Haines, chief executive of German bathroom fittings company Grohe.

Producer: Caroline Bayley.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Stephanie's top business guests hail from the worlds of retail, IT and pizza. They swap thoughts on the business of timing. Are modern businesses now so obsessed with doing things quickly that they fail to do it well?

And as political turmoil continues in the Middle East, the panel debate whether it's important for businesses to keep up with what's happening around the world. How isolated from current events can they be?

Stephanie is joined in the studio by David Wild, chief executive of car accessories company Halfords; Mike Norris, chief executive of IT services firm Computacenter; Chris Moore, chief executive of Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Evan's top business guests hail from retail and advertising. They swap thoughts on consumer research. Companies spend lots of money to find out how their customers spend theirs, but do they learn anything useful?

They also debate what purpose business awards serve. Can they actually help a company be more successful?

Evan is joined in the studio by Ian Cheshire, chief executive of home improvement retail company Kingfisher. And from the world of advertising, Cilla Snowball, group chief executive and chairman of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, and David Jones, global chief executive of Havas Worldwide.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Stephanie and her panel of top executives discuss hyperconnectivity - the idea that there are more devices in use around the world than there are people actually using them. How do the panel cope with the sheer mass of incoming information, and devices to carry it? Does more technology mean better communication, or just less time to think?

They also talk about the role of intuition in making important decisions. Is there still room in modern business for the good old-fashioned hunch, or do decisions these days always need to be backed up by solid analysis?

Stephanie is joined in the studio by Dominic Taylor, chief executive of payment services company PayPoint; Rita Clifton, chairman of branding consultancy Interbrand; Sir Michael Rake, chairman of telecoms company BT Group.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Stephanie and her panel of top executives discuss the impact of political instability on the way they do business.

They also talk about their employees - many chief executives will say their workers are the company's "most valuable asset", but is it really true?

Stephanie is joined in the studio by Tim Watkins, vice president of the western arm of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei; Richard Fenning, chief executive of global security consultancy Control Risks; Vineet Nayar, chief executive of Indian IT services company HCL Technologies.

Producer: Caroline Bayley.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

This week, Evan asks his panel of top business executives how they manage to adapt their companies and remain relevant in the modern world. What do you do when technology changes, or fashions move against you? What are the challenges of rejuvenating and transforming a mature business to keep ahead of the curve?

The panel also discusses which laws get in the way of running a business smoothly and reveal which ones they would most like to scrap.

Evan is joined in the studio by Anne Murphy, UK managing director of frozen foods company Birds Eye; Norbert Teufelberger, chief executive of online gaming firm Bwin; Efrat Peled, chief executive of the fund Arison Investments.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan consults the oracle by asking his panel of top executives to fast-forward five years and forecast how they see the economic landscape in 2016. They discuss raw materials and inflation, and debate who will look stronger - will it be China or India?

The panel also discusses the value of networking - both real and virtual - for your business and your career.

Evan is joined in the studio by Andy Street, managing director of high street retail chain John Lewis; Nicola Horlick, founder of Bramdean Asset Management; Simon Woodroffe, entrepreneur and founder of YO! Company.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

In the week that Facebook launched its own new messaging service, Evan and his panel of top business guests discuss the role of email at work, amid the many different ways of messaging and communicating.

And location, location, location. It's a cliche that location can make or break a business, but how true is it really? And what are the advantages of being next door to the competition?

Evan is joined in the studio by Chris Grigg, chief executive of property company British Land; Andrew Horton, chief executive of insurance company Beazley; Raghav Bahl, founder of Indian television news group Network 18.

Producer: Ben Crighton

Last in the series. The Bottom Line returns in January 2011.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

In the week that former BP boss Tony Hayward admitted the company had been unprepared for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in April, Evan and his panel of top business executives consider how companies plan for unexpected events. How prepared actually are they for a crisis or a disaster?

And dressing up, dressing down, power dressing, smart casual - they also discuss what to wear at work.

Evan is joined in the studio by Neil Gaydon, chief executive of set-top box maker Pace; Sara Weller, managing director of retail chain Argos; Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and a panel of top guests from the worlds of online retail, investment and utilities examine how young upstart companies can outsmart their well-established incumbent opponents, and how those opponents can defend themselves.

The panel also discusses company names. What makes a good one? And why the business obsession with changing them?

Evan is joined in the studio by Katherine Garrett-Cox, Chief Executive of Alliance Trust, an investment trust; Brent Hoberman, serial internet entrepreneur and founder of web-based furniture company made.com; Phil Bentley, Managing Director of utility company British Gas.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of spirits, security and digital publishing discuss the special relationship between the two people at the top of a company: the chairman and chief executive. Is it a recipe for tension, or a sensible balancing of responsibilities?

The panel also discusses the merits of youth versus experience in the workplace. What qualities do young people bring to a business compared with their older colleagues - or is there no difference?

Evan is joined in the studio by Séamus McBride, President and Chief Executive of spirits company Bacardi Ltd; Nick Buckles, Chief Executive of security company G4S; Anthony Habgood, Chairman of digital publisher Reed Elsevier and the hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company Whitbread.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of farming, packaging and investment discuss the importance of raw materials - and how the price of commodities affects their companies.

The panel also discusses emotion. Evan asks his guests how 'touchy feely' they are, as they consider whether business is a place for emotion and sentimentality.

Evan is joined in the studio by William Chase, farmer and entrepreneur; Miles Roberts, chief executive of FTSE250 packaging company DS Smith; Colin Melvin, chief executive of Hermes Equity Ownership Services.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of electronic components, online groceries and information technology discuss the exacting science of business logistics.

The panel also discusses customer service. Just how high should a company aim in trying to satisfy its consumers?

Evan is joined in the studio by Tim Steiner, co-founder and chief executive of online supermarket Ocado; Nick Wilson, managing director of Hewlett-Packard UK; Ian Mason, chief executive of electronic components company Electrocomponents.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of advertising, branding and lifestyle management discuss viral videos, social networking and some of the other methods companies now employ to reach out to their customers.

The panel also discusses positive thinking. Is better to be optimistic in business, or realistic?

Evan is joined in the studio by Alex Cheatle, chief executive of the lifestyle management company Ten Group; Jasmine Montgomery, co-founder of branding consultancy Seven Brands; Robin Wight, president of communications group Engine.

Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of civil engineering, hedge funds and investment discuss the art of staying ahead of the competition.

The ruthless former chief executive of General Electric, Jack Welch, often held up as a model of business leadership, pursued a strategy to establish each of GE's businesses as either number one or number two in the market. Without this approach, he believed the company's prospects would be bleak. Some companies will do anything to be big, even if it means cutting prices and making less money. Other businesses are happy to be smaller and more profitable. Which strategy wins?

The panel also discusses corporate claptrap. Silly jargon, faddish ideas and vacuous concepts - why is the business world so keen on nonsense?

Evan is joined in the studio by Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and business investor; Keith Clarke, chief executive of FTSE 250 civil engineering and design consultancy Atkins; Hugh Hendry, hedge fund manager and co-founder of Eclectica Asset Management.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

Evan Davis is joined by a panel of chief executives to discuss the US economy. There was concern over the summer that the world's economic powerhouse could be about to enter a double-dip recession, dragging rest of the world down with it. Those fears might may have now subsided, so how is the US economy actually faring? And can the rest of the world thrive without a booming America? The panel also discusses sponsorship - how companies decide which events to back, and how much to spend.

Evan is joined in the studio by Nani Beccalli-Falco, President and Chief Executive of GE International; Trevor Matthews, Chief Executive of Friends Provident; Mike Lynch, founder and Chief Executive of Autonomy.

Evan Davis makes up crisis management scenarios to see how three CEOs handle a business emergency. To make it more realistic none of the guests know what the predicaments are before speaking to Evan.

Guests: Kathryn Jacob, CEO of Pearl and Dean Dame Inga Beale, former CEO of Lloyd's of London Justin King, former CEO of Sainsbury's

Production Team: Presenter: Evan Davis Editor: Matt Willis Producer: Simon Tulet & Paige Neal-Holder Sound: Sarah Hockley & Rod Farquhar

A typical career, for many, involves some kind of progression, or at least the expectation of it, until we stop and retire. But is there a better model?

Evan Davis and guests discuss whether more of us should think about easing into retirement by taking more junior roles, going part time, or switching profession altogether, instead of stepping off a career cliff edge when we reach pension age. Could this expand the number of job opportunities for older workers, whilst also helping younger workers push through the ranks?

Stepping back isn’t an option open to all, though, and there could be big implications for pensions, so how should older workers begin to calculate if, or when, it might be possible? Evan is joined by:

Matthew Rideout, founder of Knead & Desire Bakehouse; Sir Howard Davies, chairman of NatWest Group; Zoe Ashdown, head of culture and people engagement at AXA UK and Ireland.

Thanks also to the listeners who sent in voice notes, and to everyone else who emailed bottomline@bbc.co.uk

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producers: Simon Tulett Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Matt Willis Sound: James Beard and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

(Picture: An older man laughing and looking at a laptop with a young woman in a workshop. Credit: Alys Tomlinson/Getty Images)

The UK’s biggest nightclub operator recently announced the closure of around half of its venues, and with them almost 500 jobs. REKOM UK, which owns the Atik and Pryzm brands, blamed the cost of living crisis hurting its customers, along with increased operating costs. But is there something else going on?

According to the industry association the number of nightclubs in the UK has more than halved in the last decade, so have younger people – nightclubs’ core customers – lost interest in drinking and dancing the night away? Are landlords eyeing up healthier returns from these enormous spaces by turning them into flats? And how are the remaining venues evolving to attract these, and sometimes older, customers?

Evan Davis is joined by:

Peter Marks, chairman of REKOM UK; Mike Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association; Jo Cox-Brown, CEO of Night Time Economy Solutions.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producers: Simon Tulett and Nick Holland Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

(Picture: A crowd of people dancing and waving their arms in the air. Credit: Getty Images)

It’s easy for people to say they want to buy a particular product, perhaps in the name of sustainability. But how often do individuals actually follow through with these well-meaning intentions? Academics regularly observe a difference between what consumers say they want to do and what they actually do. The gap can cause problems for businesses when they're trying to figure out how to serve their customers. Evan Davis is joined by a panel of business leaders to discuss how they bridge this divide.

Guests: Andreas Chatzidakis, professor of marketing in the centre for research into sustainability, Royal Holloway, University of London Jake Pickering, senior manager for agriculture, Waitrose Marsha Smith, deputy CEO, IKEA UK Toby Clark, vice president of insights, Mintel

Production team: Producers: Simon Tulett, and Nick Holland Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Hal Haines Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

It's useful to know how you're doing at work, but feedback from managers and colleagues can often be unhelpful, upsetting, or even non-existent. So what's the best way to give and receive it?

Evan Davis and guests discuss some top techniques, particularly in the tricky area of negative feedback, and the importance of training managers in how to have these conversations. But feedback isn't just about managers - we learn the best ways for employees to receive and act on it.

Plus, how frequently should an employee's performance be measured - we discuss the pros and cons of the annual appraisal - and whether technology helps or hinders.

Evan Davis is joined by:

Catherine Hearn, UK HR director, Amazon Katie Obi, chief people officer, Advanced Margaret Cheng, HR consultant, executive coach and author of 'Giving Good Feedback'

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Hal Haines Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

(Picture: A woman and a man talking at a desk. Credit: Vladimir Vladimirov, Getty Images)

UK consumers are eating less meat than at any point since records began 50 years ago, according to the latest government figures, so how are farmers, processors and retailers responding?

The cost of living crisis is part of the reason for a recent drop-off in demand, but warnings about meat's impact on the planet and our health might also play a role, and plant-based alternatives have been eating into meat’s market share in recent years.

So does the industry feel under attack, or are they adapting their businesses and their products to meet these challenges? And what does it take to get an animal from a field to our plate anyway?

Evan Davis is joined by:

Anna Longthorp, of Anna’s Happy Trotters; Phil Hambling, head of CSR at ABP Food Group; Charlotte Mitchell, owner of Charlotte’s Butchery.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

(Picture: A butcher arranging meat at store window in Leeds. Credit: Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images)

Some major fashion brands have started charging for online returns, or even banning customers who routinely send products back. The companies say that growing levels of returns are hitting their profits, so just how costly is it to process an unwanted dress, and what really happens when we pop it back in the post?

Evan Davis and guests take us behind the scenes into the hidden world of returns and the mini-industry that has sprung up to deal with the billions of pounds of items rejected by customers.

It's a growing problem, according to many retailers, with a small number of customers causing particular damage, so what's the best way to tackle it and does the responsibility lie with brands, shoppers, or governments?

Evan is joined by:

Robert Kulawik, chief operating officer, Everything5pounds.com; Andy Rough, CEO, ACS Clothing; Dr Regina Frei, associate professor of digital economy, University of Surrey.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Researcher: Paige Neal-Holder Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

(Picture: A woman putting folded clothes into a cardboard box. Credit: Getty Images)

It’s become the mantra of many employers, and the expectation of some employees, but what does bringing your whole or authentic self to work actually mean, and should companies encourage it?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the pros and cons of a workplace culture in which staff share their personal beliefs, politics and vulnerabilities with colleagues. What impact does it have on employee satisfaction and business productivity? And, at a time of great political and cultural polarisation, how do you prevent the ‘whole self’ ethos stirring up trouble?

Evan is joined by:

Nana Berchie, global people director for diversity, belonging and human rights, Arcadis; Octavius Black, founder and CEO, The Mind Gym; Kate Palmer, employment services director, Peninsula UK; Sophia Luu, freelance design researcher and founder of Secrets Worth Sharing.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: Matt Willis Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

(Picture: A woman hiding behind her laptop. Credit: Getty Images)

On the agenda for the final programme of the current series is meetings. Virtual or in person, it's difficult to avoid a work meeting. So how do you ensure a good meeting? What should their purpose be, how many people should attend, who should speak and when? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

GUESTS

Dave Brittain, Business Development Director, Amazon Fashion Europe

Phil Jones, MD Brother UK

Dr. Sarah Woolley, Senior Research Fellow, Warwick Business School

CLIPS

Series 3 Episode 3 W1A

Writer: John Morton

Rob Mayhew Brother Meeting Manifesto Writer: Rob Mayhew

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: Rod Farquhar and James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

New medicines with sales in the billions of dollars each year are what every pharmaceutical company dreams of, but how do you create one and can they really justify their often high price tags?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the changing origins of so-called 'blockbusters' and their importance to the global drug industry, including recent examples like the obesity and diabetes treatments Wegovy and Ozempic, which have made Novo Nordisk one of the richest companies in Europe.

Plus, as outright cures for some diseases begin to emerge, how can the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare systems agree on what is a reasonable price to pay for them?

Evan is joined by:

Sir Patrick Vallance, former president of research and development at GSK, chief scientific advisor to the UK government, now chair of the Natural History Museum; Ruth McKernan, venture partner at SV Health Investors; David Brown, chairman and co-founder of Healx and co-creator of Viagra; Natasha Loder, health editor, The Economist.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Picture: Rolls of dollar bills next to a bottle of pills. Credit: Getty Images)

For most people, the aeroplane is the default mode of long distance transport Whilst the UK has only two overnight sleeper services, long distance train travel and sleeper services are experiencing a resurgence in Europe. One company OBB, the Austrian State Railway has just ordered thirty new trains, some of which will be in service from December. But are these services mainly for train aficionados, romantics and those scared of flying, or could they become a serious competitor to the plane?

Evan Davis and guests discuss what's behind this apparent new 'Age of the Train'. GUESTS

Kurt Bauer, Head of Long Distance Passenger Services and New Rail Business, OBB/Nightjet

Michael Guerra, Rail Design Engineer and Co-founder, Night X

Monisha Rajesh, Travel journalist and Author, 'Around the World in 80 Trains'

Reporter: Lisa Louis

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball

Editor : China Collins

Sound: Neil Churchill and Rod Farquhar

Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Bad behaviour and big mistakes can destroy careers and even entire businesses if they're not addressed quickly, so why do some companies and their leaders try to downplay or even deny them?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the culture of defensiveness and denial that exists in some organisations, from the private to the public and charity sectors.

A former Oxfam worker describes how she was forced to blow the whistle on widespread sexual exploitation and abuse inside the charity, and the panel explores the ways in which leaders can tackle wrongdoing and encourage their teams to call it out.

Evan is joined by:

Helen Evans, former head of global safeguarding at Oxfam, now CEO of Cavernoma Alliance UK: John Higgins, researcher on workplace activism and author of “Speak Up: Say What Needs to Be Said and Hear What Needs to Be Heard”; Sarah Miller, CEO of Principia Advisory.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinators: Gemma Ashman and Sophie Hill

(Picture: A businessman with his head in the sand. Credit: Getty Images)

Elon Musk’s decision to rename Twitter ‘X’ has been met with confusion, and in some cases even anger, but where does it rank amongst the best and worst rebrands?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the complexity of changing a company or product name, logo and message, the reasons for doing it, and how to make it a success.

These overhauls can be risky, though, and failure expensive – the panel discusses one the UK’s textbook rebranding disasters.

Evan is joined by:

Lee Rolston, chief growth officer at Jones Knowles Ritchie; Caroline Wiertz, professor of marketing at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) – City, University of London; Amanda Mackenzie, former chief marketing and communications officer at Aviva; Keith Wells, founder and director of Brandwell.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Picture: The new ‘X’ logo displayed on a smartphone with the old Twitter logo in the background. Credit: Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.)

As the UK gets ready to host a major global summit on the safety of artificial intelligence, Evan Davis speaks to one of the technology's leading global figures.

Demis Hassabis explains how he went from child chess champion to game developer to co-founder of AI research lab DeepMind, which was bought by Google in 2014.

He discusses Google's answer to ChatGPT and AI's ability to create breakthroughs in science, but also its downsides, including the potential extinction of the human race.

GUEST: Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Joel Moors and Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Picture: Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind)

From plumbers to electricians, plasterers to builders, most of us need to hire a trader at some point. But what's it like to work in the industry, and how has it been affected by changes such as Brexit, the pandemic and inflation? How should you go about finding a trader who is trustworthy and will deliver quality work?

In recent decades, going into a 'trade' has not been as strongly encouraged as to going to university, but tradespeople of all kinds are in short supply, so what is being done to encourage more young people to take up a trowel or pick up a drill?

Evan Davis and guests discuss.

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Day - Electrician, Mayday Electrical Solutions Ltd.

Kalece Okusanya - Decorator - Suave Property Care

Will Davies - Co founder , Aspect Property Maintenance

Tim Balcon - CEO, Construction Industry Training Board

Peter Gordon - Listener

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: Tim Heffer and Graham Puddifoot Prod. Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Many employers say they are desperate to get staff back into the office more often, but what's the best and fairest way to wean employees off remote working?

As companies from tech to banking grapple with this issue, Evan Davis and guests discuss the productivity pros and cons, the impact on company culture and career progression, and the future of the office space itself.

With many staff reluctant to give up the flexibility of remote working, is a hybrid model the answer to keeping them happy and how many office days each week should you go for? Plus, where do employees stand legally on return to the office requests, and what happens when workers simply refuse to comply?

Evan is joined by:

Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland; Stephen White, Chief Operating Officer of Santander UK; Ranjit Dhindsa, head of employment at Fieldfisher; and Nicholas Bloom, professor of economics, Stanford University.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Picture: A businessman staring out of the window of an empty conference room. Credit: Chris Ryan/Getty Images)

Is humour the most effective way to get your product noticed? If so, why does it seem that the use of comedy in advertising is in decline? Recent research by Kantar found that 90% of consumers were more likely to remember and purchase a brand if the advert made them smile. So why the downturn? Are multi-national brands looking for a one size fits all approach, or are brands frightened of offending potential customers? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

PRESENTER: Evan Davis

GUESTS

Rory Sutherland, VP, Ogilvy UK

Lucy Greeves, Author and Creative Strategist

Dom Dwight, Marketing Director, Taylors of Harrogate and Yorkshire Tea

ADVERT CLIP: Yorkshire Tea - Induction Training with Sean Bean Courtesy of Taylors of Harrogate, Yorkshire Tea Creative: Lucky Generals Advertising Agency

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

England’s water companies are under fire – there’s public anger over sewage spills and leaks, and now regulators and government ministers are worried some of them are drowning in too much debt. So what’s gone wrong, and who will pay the price of fixing the industry?

On the face of it, running a water company seems like a licence to print money – there’s guaranteed revenue, and no competition – but there’s a lot of infrastructure to build and maintain, and strict targets that are getting even tougher and more expensive to hit as environmental concerns grow.

Many of England’s water firms have taken on very high levels of debt, but have they used it to invest, or pay off their shareholders? And does the regulator, Ofwat, have questions to answer for strangling spending on improvements in a bid to keep customer prices low?

Evan Davis is joined by:

Nicola Shaw, CEO, Yorkshire Water; Sir Ian Byatt, Ofwat Director General from 1989 to 2000; Verity Mitchell, UK analyst at Global Water Intelligence.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Mike Woolley Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Produced in partnership with The Open University.

From The Office and Succession to The Apprentice and Dragons' Den, does the portrayal of business on television inspire or is it a total turn off to budding entrepreneurs? And how challenging is it to create great drama from the world of business? Is 'greed, for lack of a better word, good' as Gordon Gekko from Wall Street would have us believe? Or post financial crash, is the world looking to find a more equitable and kind example of the business world on screen?

PRESENTER: EVAN DAVIS

GUESTS

Ash Atalla, CEO, Roughcut Productions

Dave Fishwick, businessman, subject of Netflix movie, 'Bank of Dave'

Nisha Katona, Founder, Mowgli Street Restaurants, Great British Menu judge

Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, co-writers, 'Industry' , BBC 2 drama series

Clip from 'Industry' BBC2 Bad Wolf Productions HBO/BBC

Produced in Partnership with the Open University

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: James Beard and Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Demand for pre-loved goods has surged in the UK in recent years, with fashion, books and furniture especially popular. So what’s driving this boom in second-hand sales - the cost of living crisis or the increasingly eco-conscious shopper? And how are companies making money from it?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the business of buying and selling pre-loved products, the growing number of online platforms specialising in them, and the bricks-and-mortar retailers looking to get in on the act.

Plus, is buying second-hand really better for the environment, and what protection does the customer get when something goes wrong if they’re buying from a stranger rather than a business?

GUESTS

Hugh Hurley, CEO, Gumtree Adam Jay, CEO, Vinted Marketplace Ana Estrougo, founder and CEO, The Octopus Club Adwoa Owusu-Darko, founder, Mini's World and seller on Depop

Produced in partnership with The Open University.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose are possibly two of the most trusted brands in retail. This week, Evan Davis interviews Dame Sharon White, who took over as Chair of the Partnership, literally weeks before lockdown. Post lockdown like all retailers the Partnership faces a cost of living crisis and getting customers back to the High Street. How is she facing these challenges and what are her plans for the future of the partnership?

GUEST: Dame Sharon White, Chair, John Lewis Partnership

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Julie Ball and Simon Tulett Editor: Richard Vadon Sound: Hannah Montgomery and Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Younger workers want unlimited holiday, refuse to give up remote working, and are constantly looking for their next job, or so the cliché goes. Millennials and those even younger (Generation Z) do typically have different attitudes to work than their older colleagues, but what are they really, and how are they changing workplaces? Is it all about finishing early on Fridays, finding a company with a strong ethical stance, or looking for the quickest possible route to success? And to what extent have the pandemic and remote working changed the relationship between employees and employers, especially for those new to the world of work? As these younger workers make up an ever-growing proportion of staff at UK firms, Evan Davis and guests ask what’s the best way to manage and get the best out of them.

GUESTS

Grace Beverley, founder and CEO of TALA and SHREDDY; Helen Marshall, chief learning officer at Thrive; Gary Ashworth, chairman of InterQuest Group, Albany Beck and Positive Healthcare. Thanks also to Cruz Corral @champagnecruz

Produced in partnership with The Open University.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and James Beard Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

As Covid restrictions were eased last year, the demand to travel abroad by air overtook the readiness of the industry to cope, leading to thousands of flights being cancelled and enormous queues at several airport terminals because of a shortage of staff across the board from security to baggage handlers and flight attendants. What can passengers expect this year and has the industry been able to address the problems it experienced last year to provide a smooth passenger experience this year? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

GUESTS

Willie Walsh, Director General, International Air Transport Association, Former Chief Executive, IAG and British Airways

Tim Hawkins, Chief of Staff, Manchester Airports Group

Sally Gethin, Independent Aviation and Travel Analyst and Commentator

Produced in Partnership with The Open University.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Julie Ball and Simon Tulett Researcher: Marianna Brain Editor: China Collins Sound: Rod Farquhar Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Grocery stores are under pressure – with food inflation still near record highs, some have accused them of profiteering and the UK’s competition watchdog is investigating.

So what’s the evidence, if any, that supermarkets and other smaller stores are taking advantage of consumers, and what is a reasonable profit margin in this industry anyway? Food suppliers, large and small, also have a role to play here – we look at how their margins impact prices.

And, with government ministers vowing to curb food price inflation, we ask whether a cap on the cost of some products would help.

Evan Davis is joined by guests from across the industry to try to get a clearer picture of the UK’s food supply chain, and ask how fair it is on customers.

Produced in Partnership with The Open University.

GUESTS

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer Teresa Wickham, retail analyst, fruit grower, and former advisor to Sainsbury’s and director at Safeway Chris Noice, communications director, Association of Convenience Stores

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

What makes a great business book and how do you make practical advice on a subject like accounting a riveting read? What makes you more likely to read a business book - a top business leader's journey to the top, like Sheryl Sandberg or Phil Knight of Nike, or one offering simple 'how to' advice. And what is the business model of business books themselves - do they sell loads of copies, or are they more about building up a public brand?

Join Evan Davis and guests , in the final programme of the current series, to learn about some great business reads and how business publishing is thriving.

GUESTS

Margaret Heffernan, Author, Uncharted. Former CEO and Entrepreneur.

Alison Jones, publisher Practical Inspiration Publishing and Presenter, The Extraordinary Business Book Club Podcast

Helen Kogan, Managing Director, Kogan Page, Business Book Publisher

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Julie Ball and Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: James Beard and Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed.

What's the best way to recruit people who have the right skills for the job, but are also the right cultural fit for your business? And how do you do that without discrimination? Evan Davis and guests discuss the many different hiring options available, from the standard CV and interview to social media snooping, and the importance of getting it right.

GUESTS

Michael Barrington Hibbert, CEO, Barrington Hibbert Associates Sir John Timpson, chairman, Timpson Group Claire Hamilton, head of UK talent acquisition, Capgemini Wouter Durville, CEO, TestGorilla

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed

Machines now have the ability to write novels, create works of art, or compose original songs thanks to artificial intelligence. In future the technology could be used to discover drugs, design entire buildings, or come up with new materials.

So how should businesses respond to the evolution of AI, most embodied by the AI chatbot ChatGPT? Evan Davis and guests discuss its potential for creating new products and increasing efficiency, as well as the risks involved in handing machines even more power.

GUESTS

Priya Lakhani, CEO, CENTURY Tech Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone and Colin Murdoch, Chief Business Officer, DeepMind

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Neil Churchill and Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed

Warren East has run two of the UK's most successful companies, ARM and Rolls Royce Holdings. During his tenure at ARM he oversaw a rapid growth of this globally successful Cambridge semi conductor company. He went on to lead Rolls Royce during a time of turbulence, from aircraft engine trouble, to COVID and a massive restructure which led to several thousand redundancies. He shares his reflections on his business career, as well as his thoughts on Brexit, tax and economic growth.

GUEST

Warren East, former CEO Rolls Royce Holdings Ltd.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: James Beard and Graham Puddifoot Prod Co-ordinator: Siobhan Reed

It seems these days everyone is making a podcast, from Michelle Obama and Kate Hudson to Alastair Campbell and Dua Lipa. Covering every subject from health and wellbeing to politics, food and even funerals, the last few years has seen a proliferation of new titles. Although only a third of us are currently listening to podcasts, that number is steadily growing. So who is making money from podcasts, and how? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

PRESENTER: Evan Davis

GUESTS

Jack Davenport, managing director, Goalhanger Podcasts

Sam Shetabi, content director UK, Acast

and

Rebecca McGrath, senior media analyst, Mintel

PODCAST CLIPS

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster, featuring Jarvis Cocker, Plosive Productions

The Rest is Politics with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Goalhanger Podcasts

and

Shagged, Married, Annoyed with Chris and Rosie Ramsay, Avalon Productions

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Producton Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound: Neil Churchill and John Scott

The French work fewer hours, take longer holidays and retire earlier than UK employees, but they are also more productive and their economy is therefore roughly the same size as ours. How do they do it?

As the UK looks for a way out of its sluggish economic growth, Evan Davis asks what we can learn from our neighbours. Why is it that for each hour worked a French employee produces almost 20 per cent more than a British one?

GUESTS

Olivier Morel, board member of the French Chamber of Great Britain and partner at Cripps.

Rebecca Riley, professor of practice in economics at King’s Business School, London, and member of The Productivity Institute.

and

Neil Coales, managing director of Agilité Solutions, Paris.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Simon Tulett and Julie Ball Researcher: Marianna Brain Editor: China Collins Sound: Rod Farquhar and Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed

If you've ever felt bamboozled by the sheer range of biscuits at your local supermarket or in a quandary over which pair of headphones to buy from the plethora on offer, then you're not alone.

Studies suggest that consumers can struggle to make decisions when there is too much choice. So how much choice should businesses offer their customers? And how can retailers help us navigate the dizzying array of products out there?

Evan Davis brings together a perfectly chosen group of experts to discuss.

GUESTS

Dr. Paul Marsden, Consumer Pscyhologist, Business School, London College of Fashion , University of Arts London

Laurence Mitchell, Buying Director, Electricals and Home Technology, John Lewis Partnership

Donna Smith, Managing Director, Thursday Cottage Ltd.

and

Paul Stainton, Retail Consultant, IPLC

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball Researcher: Marianna Brain Editor: China Collins Sound: Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed

Current strike action across the UK led to more than a million lost working days in 2022, the worst industrial strife the nation has experienced since the 'Winter of Discontent' in the 1970s. But with the benefit of hindsight, what can we learn from those who have dealt with labour relations in the past, and can their insights help to establish a better way of working out employee grievances?

Evan Davis and guests discuss.

GUESTS Alan Johnson, former MP, Secretary of State and former Head of the Union of Communication Workers. Professor Sian Moore, Professor of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management and Co-Director of the Centre for Research on Employment and Work (CREW), University of Greenwich Susanna Newing, Chief People Officer, Coventry Council

Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Julie Ball and Marianna Brain Editor: China Collins Sound: Gareth Jones and Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill

As the UK struggles with recession, Evan Davis talks to four business people who are not afraid to be bulls in a bear market. Does a recession offer opportunities to serial entrepreneurs and start-ups that others might fear? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

GUESTS

Capucine Codron, Co-founder, Swizzle

Arka Dhar, CEO and Co-founder SKOV Ltd

Sir John Hegarty, Founder, The Garage Soho and BBH Advertising Agency

and

Sarah Willingham, Co Founder, Nightcap bar chain and former Dragon's Den panellist.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Julie Ball, Nick Holland, Kirsteen Knight

Editor: Simon Watts

Sound: Graham Puddifoot

Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross

Col Needham set up his first business at the age of 14 designing and selling games software for computers. But his real love, since the age of 5, has always been film. Col started logging every movie he'd seen in a paper diary which he eventually set up as a database, along with other like-minded film fans. Although it began and remains a personal passion, IMDB is now a multi million pound business, which was one of Amazon's first acquisitions. Col has remained CEO and founder, and he's now seen 15,000 films - all logged religiously in IMDB. He talks to Evan Davis about the journey from passion to profit.

GUEST Col Needham, CEO and Founder, IMDB

PRESENTER: Evan Davis

PRODUCER: Julie Ball

EDITOR: Simon Watts

SOUND: Graham Puddifoot

PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATORS: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross

What will higher interest rates on borrowing money mean for the property market and what happens if house prices fall? Evan Davis discusses mortgages and housing in new economic times.

Guests: Vanessa McCallum, Owner of Vanessa McCallum Estates Ray Boulger, Senior Technical Manager at John Charcol Mortgage Brokers David Miles, Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College London Production coordinators: Siobhan Reid and Helena Warwick-Cross Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Louise Byrne, Kirsteen Knight and Nick Holland Editor: Simon Watts

Since the very beginning of the NHS, GP surgeries have been, in effect, businesses with contracts to do the work the Health Service needs. But in recent decades, patient numbers have grown, surgeries have become larger and the services offered more varied. Many GP surgeries now employ administrative staff, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics, as well as doctors.

What's it like to be a clinician and run a small business at the same time? What are the pressures? How do you get the books to balance? And how do you attract more people to join one of the front lines of the NHS? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

GUESTS Dr. John Lynch, GP Partner, Framfield House Surgery, Woodbridge Suffolk Dr. Matt Noble, GP Partner, GP@hand, Bablyon Health a 'digital first' practice Dr. Yazmin Razak, Single GP practitioner, North Kensington and Dr. Rebecca Rosen, Senior Fellow, Health Policy at the Nuffield Trust and part-time GP, South London

Producers: Julie Ball and Kirsteen Knight Researcher: Louise Byrne Sound Engineers: Graham Puddifoot and Rod Farquhar Editor: Simon Watts

Evan Davis looks at the UK's defence industry to find out how it is responding to the war in Ukraine and whether socially conscious investors are beginning to change their minds about the sector.

Guests: Dean Rosenfield, Head of Saab UK Kevin McNamee, CEO of Denroy Group Ltd Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS Group

Presenter: Evan Davis Production Coordinators: Siobhan Reed & Helena Warwick-Cross Producer: Julie Ball & Nick Holland Editor: Tara McDermott

What happens when your business vision doesn't stack up or your long-standing business needs to make changes to keep up with a changing market and customer taste? Do you make a U-turn or a pivot as it's known in business. How do you know when is the right time and how do you get your employees and managers to go with you? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

GUESTS

Matthew Bannister, Broadcaster and Presenter, Folk on Foot podcast

Liz Earle, Beauty and Wellness Entrepreneur, Editor-in-Chief, Liz Earle Wellbeing magazine

and

Jessica Spungin, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School

PRESENTER: EVAN DAVIS

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Julie Ball and Nick Holland Editor: Tara McDermott Sound: Neil Churchill/Rod Farquhar Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed & Helena Warwick-Cross

Evan Davis asks why there are more job vacancies in Britain than there are people looking for work. Unemployment used to be a big problem, but now businesses say they're struggling to recruit enough staff.

Guest list: Jane Townson: CEO of The Home Care Association Will Beckett: CEO of Hawksmoor restaurants Jane Gratton: Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce Jon Wilson: CEO of TotalJobs online recruitment agency.

Production Coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Sound production: Neil Churchill & Graham Puddifoot Research: Louise Byrne Producer: Nick Holland Editor: Richard Vadon Presenter: Evan Davis